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Indictments given for drug ring, stabbing

The Nolan County Grand Jury handed down 10 indictments on Tuesday , April 19, 2011, with eight of those indictments sealed. One of those indictments stemmed from a crack cocaine distribution house being busted in Sweetwater on Oct. 6, 2010.Indicted for engaging in organized criminal activity was Robert Larry Williams. The offense is classified as a first degree felony, enhanced with two prior convictions, which could get him 25 years to life in prison. His bond was set at $25,000.Williams' prior convictions included forgery in 1985 and aggravated assault in 1991.Numerous law enforcement officers converged on a property in south Sweetwater on Oct. 6, 2010, and broke up a suspected crack cocaine distribution operation. The operation was the result of a joint investigation between Nolan County Sheriff’s Office, 32nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office-Criminal Investigators, Abilene Police Department-Special Operations Division, Texas Department of Public Safety and Immigrations & Customs Enforcement “ICE” – a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.The execution of the actual raid was a combined effort involving approximately 18 officers from the agencies represented above. The raid was carried out at a residence addressed as 1110 Runnels, at the intersection of E. Oklahoma and Runnels Streets in Sweetwater. This particular address had been well known to law enforcement as it had been raided in July of 2009 for the same type of activity. The house was demolished on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. Sheriff David Warren called this the location of one of the most prolific crack cocaine selling operations he has seen.A significant amount of suspected crack cocaine was seized along with a small quantity of marijuana, cash and other related items.Also indicted was Alejandro Alva for evading arrest with a vehicle, a state jail felony. Court paper state that on or about Feb. 13, 2011, Alva intentionally fled from Christopher Romo, a peace officer who was attempting lawfully to arrest the defendant. His bond was set at $5,000.Two people were re-indicted during Grand Jury proceedings on Tuesday — Billy Ray Amos and Michael Dewayne Amos — for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony. Court papers state that on or about Sept. 2, 2009, the Amos brothers intentionally caused bodily injury to Chris Rogers by stabbing/slashing Rogers in the body with a knife. Billy's bond was set at $12,000 and Michael's bond was set at $25,000. Michael's indictment was enhanced with two prior convictions, which could give him a minimum of 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Court papers state that Amos was convicted of aggravated assault in 1982 and of burglary of a building in 1990.Chris Rogers, 29 at the time, of Sweetwater, was air lifted to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene after an altercation at a Sweetwater Housing Authority apartment complex. According to Jim Kelley, Sweetwater Chief of Police, an argument took place on Jack Lambert Drive at about 3:30 p.m., and several 911 calls were placed to report a fight. Upon arrival, Detective Melinda Moncada and Officer Brian Davis spotted Rogers immediately, who was lying in a pool of blood. "The officers quickly determined who was responsible," he said. "We were fortunate in this incident. Officers were nearby and were able to respond immediately."Moncada said that upon arriving at the scene, it was apparent that Rogers had been stabbed at least twice. Paramedics administered first aid at the scene, and the injuries were deemed serious enough to transport him via helicopter. Kelley said that Rogers received a laceration to the arm, a punctured sternum, and a life-threatening stab wound under the right shoulder blade, which was located between two ribs. He survived the attack.Billy Ray Amos and his brother, Michael Dwayne Amos, were taken into custody.